She did not know. They had gone through all of this. And besides, appeasing Caroline felt like picking open a scab that hadbarely closed over. Caroline did not deserve a reward. Caroline deserved… what?
Elizabeth knew she would take no pleasure in seeing Caroline punished.
Well, she would take some pleasure in seeing Caroline punished, of course, but it would be brief, and she did not need Caroline to suffer forever and ever.
Perhaps, if Caroline had taken it differently, the understanding that Mr. Darcy did not want her could have been punishment enough for the woman. But Caroline was insistent on taking her own revenge, and—
That was what it really was, was it not?
Elizabeth wanted revenge on Caroline. She liked to dress it up in words like justice or retribution, but it was very simple. Caroline had hurt her and she wished to hurt Caroline back.
“You have no notion, either, I see?” he said.
She shook her head. “I suppose I am trying to talk myself into the very notion of appeasing her. I wish her, instead, to suffer. It seems to me that, after everything, if we give her something to gratify her, it is wrong in some essential way.”
“Oh, yes,” said Mr. Darcy, nodding at her. “Oh, yes, indeed.”
“But we must think of the babe’s future,” said Elizabeth. “We must think of our own future. And if she smears both of our names, it will be difficult for us both.”
He sighed. “I have one idea, but I do not like it.”
She raised her eyebrows.
“We could have the banns read,” he said. “Stay here. Marry here. Respectably, as if we have nothing to hide about it all.”
“Well, I suppose a quick elopement does send the message we are ashamed of ourselves and trying to hide something,” she said.
“It does, and it is pointless, since an elopement in this situation does next to nothing,” he said. “Because you are too fargone with child. So, what does three weeks matter in the scheme of things?”
“I suppose it doesn’t,” she says.
“Of course, I do seem to remember someone saying she was not yet one and twenty, and we would need permission if you have not reached the age of majority, and I would need to go to your father. But with three weeks, that is not impossible.”
“I have since turned one and twenty,” she told him. “No permission is necessary.”
“Well, that is convenient,” he said. “Even so, I can’t say I entirely like that plan.”
“Why don’t you like it?”
“I wish to be married to you as soon as possible, Lizzy, obviously.”
She smiled. “Well, it might be nice to have a bit of time here getting used to things. You could introduce me to all the servants and take me for walks on the grounds, that is, if it isn’t too cold. I could spend more time getting to know your sister.”
He bowed his head.
“As for… other things,” she said quietly. “That has already happened, so I don’t see why it would matter if it happened again.”
“Oh, Lizzy, I am not so base as that,” he said, but he was smiling. “But I suppose you are right. There is no danger of getting you with child, after all.”
“None,” she said.
They smiled at each other.
“Well, then,” he said. “It is decided. I shall have our things unpacked.”
She got up from where she was sitting on the trunk. “It’s only that it solves nothing, not truly, not with Caroline.”
“No,” he said.